‘Russian Aggression’ memorial complex to be built in Kyiv

Thursday, May 18, 2017 3:54:00 PM

A memorial complex in honor of the participants of the Ukraine's war in the Donbas will be installed near the Pechersk Hills in Kyiv, not far from the Motherland Monument as relayed to Vesti newspaper by Anatoly Gaydamaka, a major artist from the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War. He, according to the publication, will also take part in a competition for the best memorial exposition.

The complex, as Gaydamaka specified to Vesti, will be created under the name ‘Aggression of Russia’. "This name is approved, but so far it's just a working title," he added, explaining also that "the memorial may be placed on a patch near the Upper Moscow gate of the Old Pechersk fortress."

"Along the path leading from the gate to the museum, an exposition of anti-tank ‘Czech’ hedgehogs has already been installed. Russian military equipment which was captured by our soldiers in the Donbas, is on display there as well," the artist explained. The memorial, he said, will not consist of "pedestals with figures" or "falling wounded soldiers." "But there will be symbols and allegories," Gaydamaka added, clarifying that his "vision of the exposition" lies in "modern cannon shell cases melting into church bells." "Once, Russian Tsar Peter I removed the bells from churches and melted them into cannons," the artist explained.

Lyudmila Rybchenko, the Deputy Director General of the museum confirmed that Kyiv had approved the creation of the memorial on the grounds of the Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War. However, according to her, the employees of the museum still do not known the exact name of the monument.

Earlier, 112 Ukraine reported that on May 8th, President Petro Poroshenko announced a competition for the best memorial to the Ukrainian soldiers during his speech at the opening of a photo exhibition in the National Museum of the History of Ukraine. At that time the politician also explained that the monument would be created in honor of "Ukrainian heroes who gave their lives for freedom, independence, and the territorial integrity of Ukraine."